From Darkness to Victory: Christ's Deliverance and Communion

 

Summary

On Good Friday, Jesus bore the wrath of God for our sins, and the world became dark as a result of this divine judgment. By Sunday morning, He rose from the grave, victorious over death. However, the events of Saturday are often overlooked. According to 1 Peter 3, between His death and resurrection, Jesus was alive in the spirit. His body lay in Nicodemus's tomb, but His spirit was active, visiting those who were imprisoned. This was a ministry trip where He proclaimed deliverance to spirits held captive, much like Noah's time when the world was judged, and eight people were saved through the ark. Jesus, being the ultimate ark, brought judgment and deliverance simultaneously.

This proclamation is a call for us to declare our freedom from the bondage of sin and Satan. We are no longer prisoners of war, held hostage by the enemy. Jesus's death, deliverance, and resurrection signify our victory and freedom. When we partake in communion, we are called to remember not just by recalling past events but by actively participating in the present. Communion is a sharing in the body and blood of Christ, a fellowship that transcends mere remembrance. It is an invitation to a deeper, intimate partnership with the Lord, allowing His victory to become our reality.

Communion is a unique ordinance that brings us into a spiritual intimacy with God, unlike any other experience. It is a reminder that while Jesus is not physically present, He is spiritually with us, offering the same deliverance and victory over sin and Satan as He did 2,000 years ago. This spiritual intimacy is crucial because the challenges we face are often demonized, infiltrated by demonic influence. To overcome these challenges, we must address the spiritual realities behind them, not just the physical manifestations.

Key Takeaways:

1. Jesus's ministry between His death and resurrection highlights the importance of spiritual activity even when physical evidence seems absent. His spirit was alive, proclaiming deliverance to those imprisoned, reminding us that spiritual realities often precede physical manifestations. [01:49]

2. The story of Noah is a powerful illustration of judgment and deliverance. Just as Noah's ark provided salvation amidst judgment, Jesus offers deliverance through His sacrifice, calling us to declare our freedom from sin and Satan's hold. [03:05]

3. Communion is more than a ritual; it is an invitation to participate in the life of Christ. It calls us to move beyond mere remembrance to active participation, sharing in the spiritual realities of Christ's victory over sin. [07:04]

4. Spiritual intimacy with God through communion allows us to experience His presence and victory in our lives today. It is a unique ordinance that offers a deeper connection with God, transforming our spiritual realities. [09:25]

5. The challenges we face are often demonized, requiring us to address the spiritual influences behind them. By participating in the table of the Lord, we align ourselves with His victory, overcoming the demonic influences that seek to hold us captive. [10:12]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:46] - The Darkness of Good Friday
- [01:08] - The Overlooked Saturday
- [01:28] - Jesus Alive in Spirit
- [01:49] - Ministry to the Imprisoned Spirits
- [02:28] - Proclamation of Deliverance
- [03:05] - Noah's Ark and Christ's Work
- [03:42] - Declaring Freedom from Satan
- [04:24] - Victory Through Christ
- [05:08] - The Meaning of Communion
- [06:16] - The Table of the Lord vs. Demons
- [07:18] - Fellowship and Intimacy
- [08:03] - Spiritual Realities and Physical Life
- [09:06] - Experiencing Christ's Victory Today
- [10:12] - Overcoming Demonized Challenges

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. 1 Peter 3:18-20
2. 1 Corinthians 10:16-21

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Observation Questions:

1. According to 1 Peter 3:18-20, what did Jesus do between His death and resurrection? How does this passage describe His spiritual activity during this time? [01:28]

2. In the sermon, how is Noah's Ark used as an illustration of judgment and deliverance? What parallel is drawn between the Ark and Jesus's work? [03:05]

3. What does 1 Corinthians 10:16-21 say about the significance of communion? How does it describe the act of sharing in the body and blood of Christ? [05:23]

4. How does the sermon describe the spiritual realities that influence our physical challenges? What role does communion play in addressing these spiritual influences? [09:57]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. What might it mean for Jesus to proclaim deliverance to the spirits in prison, as mentioned in 1 Peter 3:18-20? How does this relate to the concept of spiritual activity preceding physical manifestations? [01:49]

2. How does the story of Noah serve as a metaphor for Jesus's work of judgment and deliverance? In what ways does this story call believers to declare their freedom from sin and Satan? [03:05]

3. In 1 Corinthians 10:16-21, what is the significance of participating in the table of the Lord versus the table of demons? How does this passage challenge believers to choose their spiritual associations? [06:16]

4. The sermon suggests that communion is more than a ritual; it is an invitation to participate in the life of Christ. How does this understanding of communion deepen one's spiritual intimacy with God? [07:04]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on the idea that Jesus was spiritually active even when His physical body was in the tomb. How can this perspective encourage you to trust in God's unseen work in your life? [01:28]

2. The sermon calls believers to declare their freedom from sin and Satan. What specific areas of your life feel like they are under spiritual bondage, and how can you proclaim freedom in those areas? [04:02]

3. Communion is described as a unique ordinance that offers spiritual intimacy with God. How can you approach communion with a mindset of active participation rather than mere remembrance? [05:08]

4. Consider the challenges you face that may have spiritual influences behind them. How can you address these challenges by aligning yourself with Christ's victory through communion? [09:57]

5. The sermon emphasizes the importance of spiritual intimacy with God. What practical steps can you take to cultivate a deeper connection with God in your daily life? [09:25]

6. How can you ensure that you are partaking in the table of the Lord and not the table of demons in your daily choices and associations? What changes might you need to make to align with this teaching? [06:16]

7. Reflect on a recent challenge you faced. How might recognizing the spiritual realities behind it change your approach to overcoming it? What role can prayer and communion play in this process? [10:12]

Devotional

Day 1: Spiritual Activity in the Unseen

Even when physical evidence is absent, spiritual activity is ongoing. Jesus's ministry between His death and resurrection underscores the importance of spiritual realities that often precede physical manifestations. While His body lay in the tomb, His spirit was alive, proclaiming deliverance to those imprisoned. This reminds us that God's work is not limited to what we can see or understand. We are called to trust in the unseen and recognize that spiritual battles are being fought on our behalf. [01:49]

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust that God is working behind the scenes, even if you can't see it right now?


Day 2: Judgment and Deliverance

The story of Noah serves as a powerful illustration of judgment and deliverance. Just as Noah's ark provided salvation amidst judgment, Jesus offers deliverance through His sacrifice. This calls us to declare our freedom from sin and Satan's hold. Jesus, being the ultimate ark, brings both judgment and deliverance, inviting us to step into the freedom He offers. We are no longer prisoners of war, held hostage by the enemy, but are called to live in the victory and freedom that Jesus has secured for us. [03:05]

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly." (2 Peter 2:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel trapped or held captive? How can you declare and live out the freedom that Jesus has already won for you?


Day 3: Communion as Participation

Communion is more than a ritual; it is an invitation to participate in the life of Christ. It calls us to move beyond mere remembrance to active participation, sharing in the spiritual realities of Christ's victory over sin. When we partake in communion, we are called to remember not just by recalling past events but by actively participating in the present. This fellowship transcends mere remembrance, inviting us into a deeper, intimate partnership with the Lord, allowing His victory to become our reality. [07:04]

"The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16, ESV)

Reflection: How can you approach communion with a mindset of active participation rather than mere remembrance? What does it mean for you to share in the spiritual realities of Christ's victory?


Day 4: Experiencing Spiritual Intimacy

Spiritual intimacy with God through communion allows us to experience His presence and victory in our lives today. It is a unique ordinance that offers a deeper connection with God, transforming our spiritual realities. While Jesus is not physically present, He is spiritually with us, offering the same deliverance and victory over sin and Satan as He did 2,000 years ago. This spiritual intimacy is crucial because the challenges we face are often demonized, infiltrated by demonic influence. [09:25]

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8, ESV)

Reflection: What steps can you take to deepen your spiritual intimacy with God today? How can this intimacy help you experience His victory in your current challenges?


Day 5: Overcoming Spiritual Challenges

The challenges we face are often demonized, requiring us to address the spiritual influences behind them. By participating in the table of the Lord, we align ourselves with His victory, overcoming the demonic influences that seek to hold us captive. This alignment with Christ's victory empowers us to face our challenges with confidence, knowing that we are not alone in the battle. We are called to address the spiritual realities behind our challenges, not just the physical manifestations. [10:12]

"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a challenge you are currently facing. How can you address the spiritual influences behind it and align yourself with Christ's victory to overcome it?

Quotes


On Good Friday, Jesus died from 12 o'clock to three o'clock. The Son of God bore the Wrath, the wrath of God, he says, for our sins. The world became dark at the death of Christ because of the Divine judgment that he bore. On Sunday morning, he rose, he got up from the grave. [00:30:00]

But first Peter 3 says on Saturday he was busy. He says between his death and Resurrection when he died he was alive in the spirit it says. So his body laid in Nicodemus's Tomb but Jesus in his Spirit was very much alive and in the life of his Spirit, it says he visited those who were incarcerated. [00:79:79]

So after Jesus died before Jesus arose, he went on a Ministry trip, and on the ministry trip, according to verse 20, verse Verse 18 he died he's put to death in the flesh, and verse 19 in which also he went and made Proclamation to the spirits now in prison. [00:113:34]

He brings up Noah. Two things happen with Noah. The world was judged, and eight people were delivered because of the Ark. He ties the art to the work of Christ, Jesus being the ark. Judgment fell but at the same time Deliverance was given because of sin working itself in the world. [00:179:88]

The first thing you can Proclaim is Satan go to hell because that's where he is. You can declare he no longer can hold you hostage. He no longer can put you in prison where you can function in the way God designed you to function because he's holding you as a prisoner of war and illegitimately hostage. [00:230:46]

He says when you have communion, you are to remember him. But what does it mean to remember? Does it merely mean to recall okay think back and remember that something happened certainly, remembering includes recalling, um is that all? Let's look at First Corinthians chapter 10 one page back from our Central Passage. [00:292:74]

Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread we who are many are one body for we all partake of the one bread. Look if a nation is real or not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar. [00:331:62]

He says partakers or participants, so when he says in chapter 11 to remember he's not just saying I want you to recall something in the past what he's saying is I want you to participate based on the past with something in the present. I want you to be a sharer or a participant. [00:402:72]

What communion is designed to do is bring you into a deeper level of intimate partnership with the Lord on the spiritual level so that his Saturday can become your Sunday, so that his speaking to the spiritual realities that inform our physical realities can take us to a place in the spiritual where Satan no longer is running our lives. [00:474:66]

He wants you to remember that the same thing he did two thousand years ago in delivering us from sin the whole of Satan bringing us to Victory is what he does today and he wants to give you the experience of that around his ordinance called communion. He does it there unlike he does it in any other place. [00:534:84]

It's a level of intimacy that you don't get through doing anything else because it is his spiritual intimate presence through the ACT. It is going deeper with him. He says you cannot drink from both tables all week long. The evil one wants us to drink from his table. [00:561:96]

The problem or challenges that you I or we Face are problems that have been demonized which is why they don't go away. They don't go away because it's not just the thing it's the thing that's been infiltrated by demonic influence and once it's been infiltrated by demonic influence trying to deal with the thing without dealing with the demons. [00:600:72]

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Transcript
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